Last night was the last debate in Iowa before the caucus on January 3rd. It was sponsored by FOX News and the Republican Party of Iowa, and it included all seven GOP candidates. My review this time won’t be nearly as long as usual; I’m just going to give you my order, from winner to loser (yes, last night we had losers).

#1: Rick Perry. Last night Governor Perry came out very strong and was able to stay very energetic throughout the debate. His last two debates in particular have been very good. His thoughts on the Tenth Amendment last night were spot on, and he delivered the very best line of the night: “I hope I am the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucus.”

#2: Rick Santorum. The former Senator came across as much calmer last night than he has in previous debates. Based on the actual content of his words, I believe he came in second place. He showed off his conservative credentials and proved that he has a consistent record, unlike some of the others on the stage.

#3: Mitt Romney. Mitt didn’t say or do anything special last night. To me, it just sounded like every other performance. However, he did hold his own when he was attacked and for the most part, was able to keep his composure.

#4: Michele Bachmann. I loved hearing the Congresswoman’s arguments last night. She did not let up on Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich; Paul on foreign policy, and Newt on the money he took from Freddie Mac. Personally, I felt she did better than Newt in last night’s debate. Unfortunately, the people of Iowa do not usually respond well to negativity.

#5: Newt Gingrich. Many will probably disagree with my putting the former Speaker in fifth place. Last night, he just came across as mundane and ordinary to me– excluding the fact that he is undoubtedly the smartest man on the stage. Even that has become normal now! Newt’s poll numbers are beginning to dip just slightly, so maybe his record is starting to catch up with him? We’ll have to wait and see.

#6: Jon Huntsman. Most of the time I wonder why this former governor bothers to show up. However, last night he made a few good points and I was able to really understand where he was coming from, something I’ve never been able to do before. I am still not a fan, but he did better last night than in previous debates.

#7: Ron Paul. Congressman Paul’s thoughts on Iran are what will bring him down. He believes that there’s no “proof” that they’re developing a nuclear weapon, so why should we be worried? He’s also worried that we would “overreact” if an attack were to happen on America.

12 thoughts on “GOP Debate 12/15/11”

Keep up the good work, Bethany! Saw the link for your website on HotAir and decided to check it out. I’m a Next Generation Voter as well and have been “campaigning” for Governor Perry since July. Be strong and courageous–do not be disheartened by the media or political pundits on both the left and right. By God’s grace we’re going to catapult Governor Perry into the Oval Office, for He exalts the humble and honors those who honor Him.

If Perry truly has improved his debate performance, I’d be happy to see him at the top of the ticket. Santorum worries me though, here’s a quote of his that I think really distills his worldview, and IMO it is kind of a scary one:

“This idea that people should be able to go and do whatever they want and it doesn’t really matter as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody, that’s not our founders’ view of freedom.”

If Santorum thinks that’s not our founders’ view of freedom, I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means…

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Thanks so much! I like Santorum mostly because of his strong values. His line up with mine and for me, that’s something important that I look for in candidates. It’s not a big deal for everyone, but is for me. I think Perry has a proven record that he could easily debate and defeat Obama with, at this point.

Yea, you’re exactly right about Santorum having strong values, and I agree with the majority of them, I just don’t like his tendency to use government to impose them on people.. Even if his values are generally good ones. I’d rather my values win out through honest debate in a marketplace of ideas, instead of having the government enforce them. If that makes any sense haha

Newt is definitely the smartest guy on stage…that’s not particularly tough in this crowd. He’d wipe the floor with Obama in any debate. Big Deal! We keep saying daffy duck could beat the Dems this year, let’s nominate a conservative. Why does the left always get to nominate partisan Marxists while we settle for squishy moderates?

I honestly don’t believe that “anyone” could beat Obama next year– I think unless we choose carefully, his campaign will just “wipe the floor” with our candidate and that will be it. We need someone with a record the Obama campaign can’t twist and lie about so much that people actually believe the lies. We need someone whose record stands on its own and can prove that that person is ready to lead this country, and is more competent than President Obama is.

Good point Bethany. I’d also agree Perry has the best record to run on, and the left’s hit piece on the n*ggerhead rock had little effect if any. If that’s the best they can do they’re grasping at straws. I hope Rick can get his campaign turned around in time. He’s always been my first choice.